South Carolina Firing squad

[goldmom]

Okay, first of all I am not a big fan of the death penalty. Life in the pokey gets bad guys out of the population and is generally just fine. (Don’t want to get into some huge debate)

But giving the condemned prisoner a choice between firing squad, injection or electric chair is (to me) just weird in 2025. What? No hanging? No guillotine? 🙄 They said that prison guards had to volunteer for the job - several did and three were chosen. The guy was strapped into a chair and a big red target placed over his heart.
And am I the only one who is curious about why anyone needs to know what the prisoner’s last meal was? Isn’t that kind of morbid? Doesn’t he lose his bowel control and it ends up in his britches anyway?

 

[BrianNole777]

I'd take the firing squad over the electric chair for sure.

 

[HawkBlocked]

I'd take the firing squad over the electric chair for sure.

You've got your hands full with Covid. One step at a time.

 

[HROT]

The last meal thing is more of a “Oh we killed this guy, but it’s cool, he had a steak at 9 AM”.

 

[torbee]

Sick IMO

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

He beat a girls parents to death with a ball bat, intending to rape then kill her before killing himself. They should have beat him with a ball bat. Firing squad too quick...

 

[The Tradition]

Rank 'em:

The needle
The bullets
The chair

 

[ISUBryce]

They have firing squads in the west still, people can volunteer to be on them, and there is a waiting list.

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

Gun shot would be more immediate than the other two.

 

[The Tradition]

Gun shot would be more immediate than the other two.

Depends on the accuracy of the marksmen....

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

Depends on the accuracy of the marksmen....

I wouldn't have any concerns.

But it does remind me of this scene.

 

[Tom Paris]

For a lib I don’t hate the death penalty when deserved.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

They said that prison guards had to volunteer for the job - several did and three were chosen.

I can't imagine what kind of sick fvck would volunteer for this.

 

[The Tradition]

I can't imagine what kind of sick fvck would volunteer for this.

The executioner takes on an essential societal role, because without the government-sanctioned executioner, you'll have vigilante justice.

 

[LuciousBDragon]

OP is just concerned about being shot in the face by three men.

 

[goldmom]

OP is just concerned about being shot in the face by three men.

No, because OP is not worried about being executed for murdering anyone.
I would think being gunshot would be more painful.

 

[HawkinK.C.1]

Can you request caliber? A 50 BMG head shot would be a pretty epic way to go out if you were a crazy fvck on death row that wanted to go out with some pizazz.

 

[QChawks]

I’d take that over being forced to watch the 2023 Iowa football offense

 

[goldmom]

Can you request caliber? A 50 BMG head shot would be a pretty epic way to go out if you were crazy fvck on death row that wanted to go out with some pizazz.

A reporter for ABC witnessed the execution and reported that she saw blood “spurt out” of the target area on the impact of at least one bullet.

 

[JWolf74]

Gun shot would be more immediate than the other two.

Not necessarily. With the injection they sedate the patient before pushing the potassium chloride and paralytic of choice.

 

[ICWestfan]

I can't imagine what kind of sick fvck would volunteer for this.

The ones that got extra pay?

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

The irony of the death penalty is that the most humane, immediate methods, would never be allowed due to being cruel and unusual. For example, how about we drop a 50 ton weight directly on the condemned? Or put a helmet on them lined with TNT. Instant death. Instead, we have lethal injection. Which looks nice and calm. But, consists of steps, takes time and has been botched famously in the past. The entire process of it is a ridiculous sham and should be barred for good in every state.

 

[hydro2.0]

Gun shot would be more immediate than the other two.

Look at the big brain on you

 

[The Tradition]

The irony of the death penalty is that the most humane, immediate methods, would never be allowed due to being cruel and unusual. For example, how about we drop a 50 ton weight directly on the condemned? Or put a helmet on them lined with TNT. Instant death. Instead, we have lethal injection. Which looks nice and calm. But, consists of steps, takes time and has been botched famously in the past. The entire process of it is a ridiculous sham and should be barred for good in every state.

ACME Execution Supplies Co.

 

[HROT]

ACME Execution Supplies Co.

Ha. I was going this same route. Even had a Wile E coyote pic - but it pasted in the quote and I didn’t want to fix it.

Or what if we made a fake road and painted a train tunnel on it.

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

Must not have been MAGA executioners. Because they are more of a Ready, Shoot, Aim procedure…

 

[Gimmered]

Gun shot would be more immediate than the other two.

Dead before the sound gets there.

 

[TennNole17]

Really weird people volunteering to kill someone. Feel like they should be put on a “list”

 

[Gimmered]

I can't imagine what kind of sick fvck would volunteer for this.

I could.

 

[Kelsers]

Depends on the accuracy of the marksmen....

Do you think the shooter(s) are 100 yards away? 🤣

 

[soonerinlOUisiana]

They said that prison guards had to volunteer for the job - several did and three were chosen.

In Louisiana, the DOC could probably make a nice little chunk of change selling lottery tickets for the chance to be on the firing squad. I mean that not as a criticism, but as a boast.

 

[lucas80]

@Gimmered
@goldmom
And others, one of the reasons I remain so adamantly opposed to the death penalty is the lasting effects on the prison staff and execution squad. I’ve seen interviews where staff talks about how hard it is to kill someone. Even when they try and limit contact between the condemned and the actual execution team who may be brought in from another prison, it is not normal to take human life under such circumstances. Many staff members have talked of carrying guilt and suffering PTSD. Many team members aren’t given much of a choice as to if they want to participate, either. It’s, you work for the state and the state is telling you to do this.
Plus, you have the whole innocent people being executed thing and all the inherent flaws in the system such as political gain for prosecutors or DAs, lack of skilled defense lawyers for the ultimate penalty. The refusal to pay for skilled experts to testify for defendants with public defenders. The marked racial and gender inequality in applying the death penalty… It goes on.
Life in prison with no parole is fine.

 

[Gimmered]

@Gimmered
@goldmom
And others, one of the reasons I remain so adamantly opposed to the death penalty is the lasting effects on the prison staff and execution squad. I’ve seen interviews where staff talks about how hard it is to kill someone. Even when they try and limit contact between the condemned and the actual execution team who may be brought in from another prison, it is not normal to take human life under such circumstances. Many staff members have talked of carrying guilt and suffering PTSD. Many team members aren’t given much of a choice as to if they want to participate, either. It’s, you work for the state and the state is telling you to do this.
Plus, you have the whole innocent people being executed thing and all the inherent flaws in the system such as political gain for prosecutors or DAs, lack of skilled defense lawyers for the ultimate penalty. The refusal to pay for skilled experts to testify for defendants with public defenders. The marked racial and gender inequality in applying the death penalty… It goes on.
Life in prison with no parole is fine.

I do not believe reasonable doubt is a good enough standard to execute anyone. It should be beyond all doubt, and even then it should be rare. With those conditions met, I couldn't stand for it if I wasn't willing to do it myself.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

Do you think the shooter(s) are 100 yards away? 🤣

15’. I’d hope they don’t miss.

 

[jasonrann]

I’d take that over being forced to watch the 2023 Iowa football offense

Deacon could have thrown the bullet and executed the feller.

 

[seminole97]

The last meal thing is more of a “Oh we killed this guy, but it’s cool, he had a steak at 9 AM”.

Gerald Lee Mitchell was executed by lethal injection on Oct 22, 2001. In his final statement he turned his attention to Marino’s mother, saying: “I am sorry for the pain. I am sorry for the life I took from you. I ask God for forgiveness and I ask you for the same.”

Mitchell was only 17 years old at the time of the murders. Mitchell’s lawyer had asked the supreme court to block the execution due to his age, arguing that the imposition of the death penalty on a minor would violate international law. (This appeal was, of course, unsuccessful; Texas law allows for the death penalty to be imposed on murder convicts whose crime took place when they were as young at 16.) On death row Mitchell had this to say about his path in life: "I was young, I didn't care about living. I was full of hate, full of rage. I really can't explain why. I was attracted to the wild side, the street life where you're trying to make a name for yourself."

Gerald Lee Mitchell’s final meal was assorted Jolly Ranchers.

 

[Gus is dead]

Not necessarily. With the injection they sedate the patient before pushing the potassium chloride and paralytic of choice.

Agreed except it seems that sometimes the injection doesn't go quite right and if they don't administer the sedative correctly, or in a good IV, it would be a pretty horrible way to go.

Gunshot x3 in the chest (where the target was) seems a little more foolproof to me.

 

[seminole97]

 

[joelbc1]

The last 10 minutes of “In Cold Blood:\”……

 

[hif in fairfax]

Maybe instead of 3.men standing 15 away aiming at a target on the chest, maybe they could just have a single wall mounted gun that fires multiple rounds aimed at the chest that is actually controlled by the prisoner, like a foot petal or a button to push, give him 15 minutes to do it himself or it automatically does it itself. And it should be offered to all prisoners who are serving life sentences that would rather die this way and not by hanging themselves.